Force-sensitive touch interaction can bring additional intuitive functionality to touchscreen avionics. By adding a force-sensitive component to the touch-sensitive input (e.g., detecting a degree, or a magnitude, of force, rather than the binary presence or absence of force), the touchscreen functionality of an avionics display may include basic tasks such as speeding or slowing scroll bars or dials based on input force, alternating menus depending on the force level applied, or other human-machine interface (HMI) software efficiencies. A major challenge in enabling force-sensitive touch input—especially so in an avionics context—is incorporating force-sensing functionality without either a) increasing mechanical complexity, e.g., by adding strain gauges, or b) placing force-sensing hardware within a display bezel of limited size, without interfering with the active display area. For example, if the display is a liquid crystal display (LCD) assembly, placing force sensors directly behind the display may be difficult due to the thickness of the cover glass, as well as the necessity of a backlight module incorporated within the LCD. Further, LCD assemblies are sensitive to force applied directly to the LCD cells, as the force creates a cell gap distortion which causes the display to flash for short impacts. Worse, sufficient localized force may permanently blotch, or distort, a portion of the display surface.